This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, our annual day to remember those men and women who fought and ultimately died for our country. Over our nearly 250-year history as a country, almost 1.5 million soldiers died fighting for the United States in one of our wars. In each of those lives, a universe was lost. And with each life, they left behind loved ones who mourned for them. Memorial Day has traditionally been about mourning those heroes and letting ourselves heal by remembering them. Giving ourselves time to heal is a crucial part of self-care. We must remember those we lost, celebrate the lives that were lived and honor their memories.
The same can be said for those we lost to COVID. We must remember those we lost and those who’ve become sick and not fully recovered. We must allow ourselves time to grieve and time to heal. It’s still so fresh for so many – and frankly, there are SO many. The CDC estimates over half a million Americans have died from COVID. That is more than 1/3 of all the soldiers we’ve lost since the founding of our country! And more than 33 million Americans have been infected with COVID, which is 10% of our total population! These numbers are truly staggering.
So, I encourage us to take time to grieve our losses. Take time to remember those we lost. Take time to heal. Seek out the resources you need to process what has happened. And take time to hug those who are still here.
Shabbat Shalom.